High School Ski Racer Brings Access to the Sport She Loves

Meet Daily Point of Light Award honoree Mia Darr. Read her story, and nominate an outstanding volunteer or family as a Daily Point of Light. 

Mia and Jackson Darr started skiing at ages 3 and 5, respectively. Their parents passed down their passion for the sport and gave them something fun to do during the harsh Wisconsin winters. Now 17 and 18, Mia and Jackson use their racing skills on their high school teams. This year, Mia’s team was the first in school history to have won a state championship in skiing. 

Realizing that without their parents’ interest and the financial resources to equip them with gear and passes, they likely would never have learned to ski, the siblings decided to give those with fewer resources and who were underrepresented on the slopes the same experience. The result was Positive Altitudes, a 501(c)3 that organizes four-week learn-to-ski programs at no cost. They’ve provided lessons to 150 kids ages 5 to 18 since their founding three winters ago with the help of the Boys and Girls Clubs of Greater Milwaukee and Big Brothers Big Sisters.  

While Jackson is headed to college in the fall, Mia will be taking the lead. She’s a three-sport athlete—tennis, ski racing and lacrosse—who will be applying to colleges on top of running Positive Altitudes. Her fundraising work has already raised over $80,000 in donations and grants to continue the work.  

What inspired you to get started with this initiative?  

My brother and I came up with the idea for Positive Altitudes on a chair lift ride during COVID. Skiing has always brought us so much joy, and we appreciated it even more during COVID, when it was one of the few sports that you could do safely. We live in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, which is one of the most segregated cities in our country. It has one of the highest poverty rates among children, so we knew that many kids faced financial barriers that kept them from skiing.

We wanted to change that. If you’re not born into a family that skis, and you don’t have the financial means, there’s a pretty good chance that you’ll never learn to ski. And this didn’t seem fair, especially in Wisconsin, where there is lots of snow. We thought that every kid deserves the opportunity to experience the joy, the challenge and the freedom that comes with learning to ski. Wisconsin winters and skiing should belong to everyone, not just those who can afford it. 

Tell us about your volunteer role with Positive Altitudes. 

My role involves both managing operations and teaching ski lessons. I work with the Boys and Girls Club of Milwaukee each year to market our program and recruit. I also work with instructors at Sunburst Ski Hill to plan our goals and structure our weeklong program. And I contact restaurants regarding our dinners and purchase ski clothing and gear for participants each year. 

In the winter, my role shifts to running the program with my brother. It’s about an hour to Sunburst. Each Tuesday, we arrive at the ski hill after school, around 4:30 pm, and help get the kids booted up and on the hill to meet the other volunteer instructors. In the evening, we pass out dinner, and I get home around 10 pm. In the spring, when the season is over, we focus on raising funds for the next year by sending out letters to donors and updating grant applications.  

What are your long-term goals for the organization? 

For me, skiing is an escape from daily stressors. It’s a place to be with my friends, breathe fresh air and have a good time. So, our top priority is for the kids to enjoy themselves, but also, we want them to come away with new skills. Skiing really isn’t easy. They’re going to make mistakes, but they’ll build confidence and resilience. 

What’s been the most rewarding part of your work? 

It’s seeing how much our participants grow from lesson one to lesson four, not only as skiers but as young people. Most people come to our program unsure of what to expect. The rewarding part is seeing the kids stick with it and to watch their determination and resilience grow. By the end, all of them are going up the tow rope, and many on the chairlift can ski independently. 

What have you learned through your experiences as a volunteer? 

Jackson and I have learned a lot about time management and how to be a successful team. I buy everything 50 to 70 participants need to ski each session–snow pants, long underwear, gloves, hats, etc. We have to make sure that we’re getting the right sizes, and that takes time and is challenging. We might have to go back to the store many times.  

I’ve also learned that getting involved makes a community stronger, and it helps people have a greater understanding of and compassion for the challenges that others may be facing. Many program participants are close to my age, and I’ve built relationships with them. I’ve learned about the daily challenges of poverty and food insecurity. The awareness has changed my perspective of my own life and has motivated me to do more for other people. 

Why is it important for others to get involved with causes they care about? 

It’s important to understand other people’s challenges and have compassion for them, because you never know what they may be facing. Being able to build relationships with people from different communities is essential. Not only do kids learn how to ski and learn from the volunteers, but we also learn from them. That’s the beauty and the importance of this whole thing.  

What do you want people to learn from your story? 

We all have like the power to make a difference, and even through Positive Altitudes isn’t changing the structures or the policies that contribute to poverty or segregation, our program is bringing kids in our community together through the shared experience of skiing. By dedicating time and passion to others, you can make a difference in people’s lives while positively impacting your own. 

Do you want to make a difference in your community like Mia? Find local volunteer opportunities.